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Steps to help you make the most of SDL Trados Studio

There are 250,000 people successfully using SDL Trados Studio worldwide, but how did they get started?

First stop, is the 'Getting started' tab on the 'Welcome' screen in Studio, where there are useful guides and videos in multiple languages, or you could take an official training and certification course.

Below we will walk you through the basic steps you need to take to get up and running, increase your translation productivity and achieve quality from the start. We will also include resources which will help you explore the benefits of individual features.

Receiving a project package (.sdlppx) from a client

When working with clients, you may receive jobs via project packages. The advantage of this is that you get all the files and information you need from the client, to help you complete this project, in one compact package.

Typically, these packages may contain: files for translation, translation memories, termbases and potentially other resources to help with your translation project.

Watch this video to see how to work with SDL project packages.

Creating your own projects (.sdlproj) for multiple files

A client has sent you some files and they are needed quickly. So, you want to get started as soon as possible without having to add the same translation memories, termbases or settings to each individual file. This is where the projects functionality within Studio comes in handy.

Watch this video to learn about setting up projects for multiple files in SDL Trados Studio.

5 features and processes you need to know about

1. How to get started with a translation memory

There are multiple ways to create a new translation memory (TM) in Studio and 3 main ways of populating it with content. These include: translating in the editor, using the alignment tool to import any previously translated resources into your TM or upgrading legacy TMS.

2. Get more from your translation memory with SDL AutoSuggest and SDL UpLIFT

Type less and translate more with SDL AutoSuggest

SDL AutoSuggest monitors what you’re typing and offers you a list of words and phrases in the target language. If one of them matches what you were about to type, you can automatically complete the word or phrase by selecting it from the list. As you continue to type, the list of suggested words is continuously updated.

UpLIFT Fragment Recall is incredibly useful when you don't have a translation memory match, but you have translated part of the sentence before. It will automatically give you an intelligent fragment match from your TM in both 'fuzzy’ and ‘no match’ scenarios.

The best part is that these fragment matches are offered through AutoSuggest to save you even more time when typing.

For new TMs created in Studio, upLIFT Fragment Recall is automatically enabled but you’ll need at least 1000 translation units. For any older TMs you will need to upgrade them.

4. Introducing terminology management with SDL MultiTerm

SDL MultiTerm is a terminology management tool - a central repository, similar to a database, which enables the management of terminology in both source and target languages.

Using a termbase helps avoid this problem by assisting you in producing more accurate and consistent translations. Your clients will all have their own specific terminology and will often provide you with a termbase to use on their projects.

Using MultiTerm alongside Studio can help you to seamlessly improve the quality of your translations. Now you know how to create a termbase in MultiTerm , you can make the most of the term recognition window in Studio.

5. Assuring quality and reviewing your translations

Most clients expect QA checks to be performed before returning a translation. Here's how SDL Trados Studio can help.

AutoCorrect

As you translate, Studio will check your translations for spelling errors. AutoCorrect is optional and, if kept enabled, will automatically correct common errors as well as capitalizing the first letter of sentences and correcting the accidental usage of the CAPS LOCK key.

Real-time preview

It’s always useful to see your translation in context and make sure that it looks correct in its native format. Use the real-time preview to track your progress and fix any formatting errors before generating the final target file. You can find it on the View tab in the Editor.

Verify your translations

Once you’ve completed your translation, you can run the Verify task. This will check for errors such as empty segments, unedited fuzzy matches, missing formatting tags, inconsistent punctuation in source and target and the non-usage of terms from your termbase, for example. You can find it on the Review tab in the Editor.

Studio has some powerful, yet simple-to-use, review features. one of the most important is...

Advanced Display Filter

When working with long texts it helps to be able to review only certain segments at a time. You can do this using the Advanced Display Filter, which you can find on the View tab in the Editor. You can filter by segments that contain specific source or target content, translation status, origin or even by the document structure information. You can save time and avoid scrolling through long texts and focus on what you need to.

Export for bilingual review

If you’re working with a reviewer who doesn’t have Studio, you can export the bilingual SDLXLIFF file into a Microsoft Word document. They can then make any necessary changes and you can import the edited file back into Studio to approve or reject any changes, which will be automatically highlighted using Track Changes.

If a client sends you back an amended target file with some edits, you can now import these using Update from Reviewed Target File (Retrofit).

Any changes will automatically be shown with Track Changes for approval. This means you can update your translation memory with your client’s changes to ensure its quality, consistency and accuracy for future projects.

The new My SDL Trados app

Download your personal mobile resource for SDL Trados Studio. The My SDL Trados app allows you to stay in touch with the latest SDL news, SDL Trados Studio product information and have all the Studio resources you need in one place. Don't miss out on another way to improve your CAT tool translation productivity.
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